Final answer:
The Magna Carta was the first historical document to limit a king's power, establishing the concept of limited government.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. Constitution establishes a limited government. The first historical document that limited a king's power was the Magna Carta. Drafted in 1215, the Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter, fundamentally limited the power of the king by establishing the principles of legal process and the guarantee of trial by jury for the nobility. It set a precedent for the idea that the monarch's rule was not absolute and that citizens had certain unalienable rights that must be respected. This core concept of limited government influenced later documents, including the English Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution, and paved the way for modern democracy.